Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Grischa Asagaroff

All the energy is in the pit in this flat production of a time-honored favorite.

Gaëlle Arquez, in one of her infrequent wanderings into Italian bel canto, leads a cast of Rossini specialists under the baton of Ottavio Dantone.

The charm of Gaetano Donizetti’s spirited two-act L’elisir d’amore lies in its mixture of sharp comedy and poignant pathos. Zurich gave us just that.

In Donizetti’s most popular comic opera, the great mix of slapstick buffa and an obtuse venue make up the stuffs of what audiences continue to love. 

A charmingly-retro, Naïf Art production of Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore at Teatro alla Scala provided a refreshing departure from the minimal, post-apocalyptic devastation trends of modern stagecraft.

Donizetti’s magic potion was much more Bollinger bubbles than bad Bordeaux.  It was delightful, delicious and de-lovely.

Shortly after Rossini's success with The Barber of Seville came La Cenerentola, a reworking of the Cinderella fairy tale, but with a little less magic, and a lot more worldly comedy. It was an instant success and further established the 25-year-old Rossini as one of the greatest Italian opera composers of his day.